Wanderer
by Sharvani
Summary: This is based on Hordes of the Underdark and the main character is a Ranger, which I think is a very neglected class. Partially on hold due to Katrina. This means I may update occasionally.
1. Chapter 1

**Wanderer**

**Well, here goes nothing. This is my very first fanfic so I'm a little nervous about it. I've been a lurker for a while and finally decided to take the plunge and write something.  I based the main character on my idea of a 33 year old Aragorn, but he isn't exactly the same. **

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own this plot or any of the characters except my main character who isn't even in this chapter.

**_ Chapter One_**

"I trust that your preparations are complete." The drow wizard swallowed, his mouth suddenly paper dry. This particular matron mother was known for her cruelty, and if angered, could be merciless. He licked his lips and nervously stammered,

"V-very nearly, Dread Mistress, it should only be a matter of-"

"Do not test my patience, iblith!" the matron interrupted angrily. She tossed her silver hair and continued arrogantly, "Would you have me wait? I, the terror of all the Underdark? The dark queen of shadow?" The wizard quailed under her gaze and said quickly,

"Of…of course not, my mistress,"

"Then proceed. I wish to see this being whom my agents say can stop my great rise." The wizard decided to try and place himself back into the drow woman's good graces.

"I do not believe anyone could stop you now, great Valsharess," he said, bowing low. The matron mother, mollified by the use of the title, continued in a less harsh tone.

"So I had thought. But, my agents have resources beyond the means of mortals. This one will be my undoing, so they say…if I do not act in time." She seemed lost in contemplation for a moment, but quickly recovered and snapped at the male, "So proceed, wizard. I will wait no further." The wizard nodded fearfully and nodded to the other wizards standing around the room. They began to chant as they formed a circle; each was enveloped by fire and the gold silhouette of a giant spider appeared on the floor in a burst of light. The spider faded, leaving a red pentacle on the floor. The shape of a man appeared in the center, surrounded by a ring of blue fire. The matron mother blinked to rid herself of the dots dancing in her vision, then strode over to the pentacle to have a good look at her adversary. The transparent image of a ruggedly handsome man dressed in weather beaten clothes looked back at her. "A surfacer! And a male, no less," she said to herself scornfully. Suddenly, she whipped around and grabbed the head wizard by the throat. "What is this!" she demanded, her voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "Have your spells become faulty, fool?" The drow wheezed as she cruelly tightened her grip.

"N-no…mistress…please!" he managed to choke out. The Valsharess held him for a moment longer before letting him go. The wizard massaged his throat before continuing. "This is indeed an image of the one who shall defeat you." The matron, suddenly furious, threw a ball of red fire at him. The wizard only had time for a surprised look before he crumpled to the floor, dead. The matron stepped over his body, shooting him a last disgusted look.

"I shall not be defeated!" she whispered menacingly, before facing the remaining wizards in the room. "This image shows but a threat, and it shall be dealt with like the others." She turned to the closest wizard. "You. Male. Remove this dead fool and summon my Red Sisters," she snapped. The matron mother walked back over to the image as the male hurried to do her bidding. She had no doubt that the surfacer had witnessed everything tonight. The image's eyes looked a little shocked, but otherwise he was motionless. Still, he would probably pass it off as a dream. Surfacers tended to be ignorant that way. She studied him more closely. Dark hair framed stormy eyes in a tanned face. A human, and by the look of him, possibly a Ranger. He was certainly rugged enough, and he looked as though he was capable of using the bow slung across his back. "Hmm…" she whispered to herself. A most unlikely adversary. Still, he was no match for her Red Sisters, the best assassins in the Underdark. She addressed the human male confidently. "And you, surfacer, whoever you are and whatever threat you pose, you will not be able to hide. The drow shall strike swiftly, and without mercy." The matron muttered the words that would break the spell and watched as the image faded away. She permitted herself a slight smile. With luck, the human would be dead before morning.

**Please review and tell me what you think! If you have to flame, fine, but tell me how to make it better. The next chapter should be posted soon.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** **Sorry about how short that last chapter was. It was four pages in Word but it turned out a lot shorter than I expected once I got it on here. I'm still experimenting with length, so please bear with me until I figure it out. Disclaimer: I still don't own anything except Caelan. The plot and most of the dialogue belongs to Bioware and all those other lucky people.**

**Chapter Two**

Caelan Tel'rana woke suddenly with the feeling that something was wrong. For a brief moment he was disoriented and couldn't remember where he was, but it only took him a moment to remember that he was in his room at the Yawning Portal in Waterdeep. He immediately felt foolish for having panicked. Yet, his ranger's senses were still telling him that something wasn't right. Of course; he'd forgotten the dream. _That drow woman would be enough to have any sane man on edge_, he told himself. He couldn't shake the feeling of being held helpless while the drow looked him over as though he were nothing more than an insect she wanted to squash. A sudden noise by the chest that he'd locked his belongings in snapped him back to reality. Caelan groped for his sword as he strained to see who was in his room, but bit back a curse when he realized that it was over with his other belongings. _Next time, inn or not, I'm sleeping with my_ _sword by my bed_. He swung his feet over the edge of the bed and padded silently over to the figure fumbling with the lock on the chest. Squinting in the dark, he tried to make out the identity of the mysterious person. It was a drow, and from the look of it, trying to steal his equipment!

"What do you think you're doing?" he yelled as he made a lunge for the drow woman's wrist. The drow, however, was not so easily caught. She slipped past him and pulled out a sharp looking dagger. With a predatory grin, she slashed at Caelan's unprotected midriff. He bit back a yelp as he leapt backwards, the dagger tip just grazing his stomach. Unperturbed by her miss, the drowess hissed,

"Now you die!" Caelan racked his brain for a way out of this mess. He was unarmed; his opponent was not. He had to get to his sword, but the only way was through the drow assassin.

"This is not good," he grumbled to himself, keeping an eye on the advancing drow. Caelan decided to chance a surprise attack. He leapt at the drow, grabbing her wrist as she tried to impale him with the dagger. She snarled at him and kicked him viciously between the legs, causing him to drop her wrist and double over. Wincing in pain, he struggled to stand upright, only to receive a kick in the jaw that sent him flying to the floor. The drow studied him for a while, but when he didn't move, she walked cautiously over to him and kicked him in the side. Still nothing. She allowed herself a satisfied smile.

"All too easy," she whispered as she bent down to cut the defenseless ranger's throat. The last thing she expected was for the supposedly unconscious man to suddenly knock her dagger out of her hand and pull her down to the floor.

"Who sent you? Why are you trying to kill me?" Caelan whispered fiercely as he held her by the collar. He shook her roughly when she ignored him. "Answer me!" The drow gasped,

"Let me go and I'll tell you!" The man weighed the risks for a moment before releasing his grip. He doubted she had any chance of killing him without a weapon. Caelan sat up and repeated his question.

"Alright. Who sent you?" She glanced nervously around the room, as though afraid someone was listening.

"I…I was supposed to kill you. Sh-she wants you dead." Caelan frowned. He had his fair share of enemies, but he didn't think any of them were female.

"Who is she?" The drow looked even more terrified.

"I can't…I failed…I-I have to…" The drow suddenly flung herself across the room and snatched her dagger from the floor. Caelan guessed what she was about to do and shouted,

"Wait!" but it was too late. The drow had already stabbed herself, her face contorted in pain as blood dripped down the hilt of her dagger to the floor. The ranger rushed over to her, but the drow was dead. He was thinking, _How am I going to explain this mess to the innkeeper?_ when the door burst open, causing his head to snap up in alarm, and a disheveled girl rushed in. Caelan relaxed when he vaguely recognized her as the innkeeper's daughter. She looked up at him, still bleary eyed from sleep, and said,

"Excuse me, I heard the noise and-" She stopped in shock as her gaze fell upon the dead drow and covered her mouth in horror. "Oh my goodness!"

"A drow tried to assassinate me in my sleep," Caelan said bluntly. The girl, badly shaken, said slowly,

"You aren't the first. Many important citizens have been murdered in their beds by the drow." She stopped and glanced uneasily back at the body on the floor. "The drow woman…is she…?" Caelan nodded.

"Yes, I killed the drow. She was trying to steal my equipment before I woke up. Any idea why? Surely it wouldn't have been worth much to her."

"She probably thought that you would be weaker without your weapons and such. That's been the pattern with the other attacks. But unlike you, the others haven't survived." Caelan suddenly remembered his dream, the drow woman telling him that she would strike without mercy.

"I-I think I was warned, actually," he said tentatively, reluctant to tell her about his dream for fear of being thought crazy. "Something woke me up." The girl seemed to accept this.

"Then you are a lucky man, milord." He shifted awkwardly, uncomfortable with the title. She continued, "But…how could they have known you were here? You only just arrived. I'll have to tell Father about this." She looked down at the floor. "We pride ourselves on the safety of our guests." Caelan tried to cheer her up by giving her a reassuring smile.

"Don't feel too badly. She probably used magic to get in undetected." The girl nodded slowly and looked back up at him, noticing the nick from the drow's dagger.

"Oh…you are injured! Why didn't you tell me sooner? I wouldn't have talked for so long!" Caelan had forgotten, but he remembered when he glanced down to see what she was talking about. He sighed in exasperation when he saw that it was only a shallow cut that had stopped bleeding a while ago. _Honestly_… he thought to himself. _Why is it that some people are so over reactive?_

"It's only a scratch," he assured her, heaving another sigh when she remained unconvinced. "Really, I've had much, much worse. Now, is there something else you needed?" The girl blinked for a moment before replying,

"Oh…yes, my father, Durnan, will probably want to speak with you. You should go downstairs after you get cleaned up." With a last stare in the corpse's direction, she left, shutting the door behind her. Caelan promptly flopped down onto the bed and closed his eyes. The evening had not been easy and he wanted nothing more than to just sleep. But, he had an obligation to see Durnan. He exhaled and rolled over.

"Duty first, sleep later," he told himself as he pulled himself off the bed and rummaged around in the chest for his gear. He slipped his tunic over his head and heaved a sigh of relief as he buckled his sword around his waist. He had been through a lot with it and he always felt better when it was within reach. As an afterthought, he slipped a knife into his boot. Caelan knew he probably wouldn't need it, but after tonight, he wasn't willing to take any chances. He located his boots and cloak before heading out the door and down the hall. He ran a hand through his hair and frowned when his palm scraped against stubble. He'd meant to shave when he got to the inn, but he'd been so tired, and he certainly didn't have time now. _Besides_, he mused, _it probably adds to the woodsy ranger look_. A voice called him over when he reached the common room.

"Come speak with us, my friend!" Caelan looked around and noticed an elf in a blue robe enthusiastically waving him over to where she stood with a group of other adventurers. He walked over and the elf greeted him happily. "Hello there. My name is Linu Laneral, priestess of Sehanine Moonbow. These are my companions, Sharwyn the bard, Dalen Redtiger the barbarian, and Tomi Undergallows the…erm…" Linu trailed off, looking uncomfortable. The ginger haired halfling Tomi piped up with a cheeky grin.

"What she's doing a good job of not saying is that I'm a thief, pickpocket, and rogue extraordinaire. And you must be Caelan Tel'rana, aye?" Caelan answered with a nod and a grin. He liked Tomi's mischievous manner.

"Hmm, Tel'rana…That means The Wanderer in my language, does it not?" asked Linu. Caelan nodded shortly.

"Yes, the elves gave me that name because I never stay in one place for long." He grinned wryly. "It suits me well." The half-orc barbarian suddenly cut in, scowling irritably.

"The innkeeper has refused to acknowledge the rest of us until the great Caelan makes an appearance. I for one did not come so far only to be ignored." Caelan stiffened, but ignored him. Linu admonished Dalen sharply.

"There is no need to be unkind, Dalen. This man deserves our respect, and the fact that he is here is a boon to our cause." Tomi snorted derisively and said,

"Huh. There ain't no cause that I know about that's gonna pay me one hundred thousand gold pieces." Sharwyn, who had been silent up until now, spoke confidently.

"I agree with Tomi. Gold speaks louder than any cause I've ever heard of."

"Why are you here in Waterdeep at its hour of need, ranger? That is, if you deem to stay in one place long enough to help. I know your type." Dalen shook his big head in disgust. "Rangers. Always disappearing at the first sign of trouble." Caelan started forward, but stopped when Linu placed a hand on his arm. He took a deep breath and tried to answer calmly.

"I intend to help Waterdeep to the best of my abilities and I suggest that you stop insulting me and those of my class. Durnan called for aid. I mean to stick around." The half-orc nodded and relaxed slightly.

"I am pleased to hear you say that, although I still have my own opinions about rangers," he said, a little less hostile than before. Linu saw an opportunity to change the subject and took advantage of it.

"Well, this has been nice, hasn't it?" the priestess asked brightly. "Perhaps we shall get a chance to travel together. I do believe that Durnan is waiting for us, however, so I suggest that we go and talk to him." Caelan nodded and walked through the door to the next room, the rest of the adventurers trailing behind.

Durnan, a stern looking man who had once been an adventurer, looked up in relief as Caelan walked over to him.

"Good to see you, Caelan. I trust that your accommodations were comfortable?" Caelan frowned slightly as he remembered the assassin.

"Apart from the drow in my room, yes," he said. Durnan scowled, anger clearly evident in his eyes.

"Tamsil, my daughter, told me what happened. I cannot apologize enough. These damnable drow come and go as they please, it seems. These are dark times for our city. Once, I would have been able to ensure the safety of all my guests. I am glad that you are here, though. I have heard of you before." The ranger was puzzled. _Since when do I have a reputation?_ he thought. _All I did was play guide to some adventurer in the desert_. He shuddered as he remembered being turned to stone by a medusa. _I got more than I bargained for, too_. Caelan realized that Durnan was still speaking and snapped his attention back to him. "…citizens have been killed by drow. It's lucky you escaped." The retired adventurer took a deep breath and looked around solemnly before continuing. "Now, to business. As you all probably know, Waterdeep is under attack, its people living in fear. That's why I made the call that you've all responded to…we're going to do something about it." Dalen nodded in approval and asked assertively,

"What do you have planned?"

"Yes, Durnan. Tell us what needs to be done," added Linu.

"Raiding parties of drow and other creatures rarely seen on the surface are attacking the city. We've determined that these attacks are coming through Undermountain." Sharwyn had a skeptical look on her face as she asked,

"But Undermountain has existed for centuries. Why hasn't there been any trouble before?" Durnan sighed.

"That's what we need to find out." Caelan, who had been silently listening for a while, suddenly asked,

"What exactly is Undermountain? I think I've heard it mentioned before, but never in much detail."

"Let me explain, then," Durnan said, clearing his throat. "Let me see…Undermountain was built hundreds of years ago by Halaster, a mage of great power. It's an underground labyrinth, full of monsters and traps designed to test adventurers who wander in. Halaster ruled Undermountain like a brutal tyrant and it was his power that kept the various creatures in check." Durnan paused for a moment. "Now, he has decided to unleash his creatures on the city. I want to know what that mad mage is up to!"

"If the attackers are those ruddy drow, 'ow come you think Halaster is behind this?" Tomi asked doubtfully.

"It is indeed odd that the mage has allied himself with the dark elves," Durnan agreed. "He's never been too fond of them. But the drow are attacking through Undermountain, and that means he must be involved."

"You mentioned that Halaster built Undermountain hundreds of years ago," Caelan pointed out. "How could he still be alive after all that time?"

"Halaster is an arch mage. Time doesn't have the same meaning for him as it does to us." Durnan scowled. "I'm certain that he's alive…and involved in these attacks. Now, it's pretty clear that the answers we seek can't be found on the surface. As most of you know, this inn is built over one of the entrances to Undermountain, a magical well descending thousands of feet. Before we start anything, I suggest that we-" A scratching noise coming from the well room door caused Tamsil to interrupt.

"Wait! What's that noise, Father?" Caelan's ranger instincts were telling him that something was indeed wrong. He put a hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to fight if need be. Durnan's eyes went wide with as he realized what was about to happen.

"Get away from the door!" he bellowed, throwing himself to one side. Caelan obeyed, just in time. A blast of fire obliterated the door, instantly killing those who hadn't heeded Durnan's warning. A group of drow and duergar climbed through the smoking remains of the doorway, killing anyone within reach. "Foul drow! How dare you invade my inn!" Durnan roared. A drow sorceress smirked, exclaiming contemptuously,

"Your inn, your city, your race…" As she spoke, she cast a spell, freezing Caelan and Durnan in place. "…the rivven will fall before the Valsharess, fool!" Caelan stopped struggling against the spell holding him motionless as he heard the name. _The_ _Valsharess?_ he thought incredulously. _I thought that was only a dream!_ A bolt from a drow archer grazed his forehead, quickly bringing him back to reality. He quickly realized that he was an easy target for the drow and struggled even harder. The spell wore off more suddenly than he'd expected and he stumbled forwards. A duergar warrior took advantage of his unbalance and slashed at him with his axe, but years of training took over and Caelan quickly dodged out of the way. He unsheathed his sword in one easy motion, turning and lopping off the head of the offending duergar before fighting his way to the drow sorceress, intending to get revenge for being frozen. She smirked again when she saw him coming and raised her hand, muttering a spell. Caelan quickly threw himself against her, interrupting her concentration and knocking her over. Before he could attack her on the ground, she was back on her feet.

"Foolish male," she said with disdain. "Now you die!" She pulled out a rapier and attempted to stab him. Caelan blocked it and retaliated in a series of chopping swings intended to cut her in half. The drow looked nervous; Caelan had the advantage in size and strength. Her strength eventually gave out from blocking Caelan's attacks and she faltered, so Caelan seized the opportunity and stabbed his sword into her chest. The sorceress gasped in shock and fell to the ground, dead. Caelan wiped his sword clean on her robe and muttered,

"Can't you drow think of a better battle cry than 'Now you die'?" He glanced around, noticing that the battle appeared to be won. A few adventurers were dead and the groans of the more severely wounded filled the air, but Linu and the rest seemed to be uninjured. Durnan finished off the last duergar with a swipe of his sword and yelled,

"Follow me! We must secure the well room!" before running down the stairs with Dalen, Tomi, Linu, and Sharwyn close behind. Caelan wiped at the blood from the graze on his forehead before jogging after them, careful not to trip on the smoking remains of the door.

About a dozen more drow waited for them in the well room, a rocky chamber bordered on one side by a deep chasm and an elevator-like platform. The drow soldiers immediately noticed them and began barking orders in their own language. "Here comes halfling death!" Tomi yelled before launching himself into the group of drow. Dalen followed behind, mowing down anything in his path with his massive double axe.

A crossbow bolt whistled past Caelan's head as he sprinted towards the fight.

"Damn those archers!" he roared as another bolt skimmed past his arm. _Luckily they don't seem to have very good aim,_ he thought, before hurling himself into the squad of archers. The crossbows were difficult to use in close range, and the drow ended up hitting each other instead of the enraged human. Caelan soon dispatched the last of the archers and turned to assist the others. A drow ran at him with a yell, swinging his sword over his head. Caelan quickly ran him through and kicked the drow's dying body off his blade. He heard someone behind him and thrust his sword backwards, stabbing the unfortunate soldier without turning around. Durnan's voice suddenly yelled out triumphantly,

"That'll teach those drow to bother my inn!" Caelan looked up, a little out of breath, to see that all the drow were dead. He sheathed his sword and walked over to Durnan, who said more calmly, "We have won the day, I think." Sharwyn, who was bleeding from a cut on her arm, said happily,

"It was a close thing, but we managed to drive them back." Durnan nodded.

"That we did. Now, I need you four to guard the well until-" He was cut off by Linu screaming frantically,

"Look out behind you!" Durnan turned in bewilderment, only to receive a blast of purple fire in the chest from a many-eyeballed creature that had risen out of the chasm. He collapsed to the floor, unmoving. Caelan pulled out his sword, but the thing shot him with another beam of energy before he could move to attack it. His eyes rolled back in his head and he faintly heard Linu shouting, "Follow that abomination!" before everything went black.

Caelan woke up to Durnan shaking him, a concerned look on his face.

"Are you alright?" he asked, frowning. Caelan sat up slowly. His head felt a little dizzy, but a few shakes cleared it up.

"I think so. What on Toril was that thing?" Durnan's frown grew more irate.

"That was an Eye Tyrant, a Beholder. It uses its many eyes to shoot out more magic than a wizard could think up. It's a creature of the Underdark." His expression darkened. "And those fools went chasing after it like a bunch of impatient children!" Caelan assumed he meant Linu and her friends, since they were nowhere to be seen. "Don't they realize how dangerous Undermountain is! They're likely to get themselves killed!" Durnan spat in disgust. "I wanted an organized foray into Undermountain, no this mess." Caelan stood slowly, picking up his sword and wiping the dust from his clothes.

"Do you want me to go after them?" he asked. Durnan's expression turned thoughtful as he considered his offer. Finally, he said,

"I don't want you rushing off in a blind rage like the others, Caelan. You're the only one we can turn to now. You seem to be the last hope for Waterdeep." Durnan sighed. "I hate to place such a burden on you, but you're the only capable one left."

"I can handle myself down there."

"Alright, alright. You can go look for them," Durnan conceded. "Just be careful." Caelan turned to go, but Durnan stopped him and handed him a thin rod. "Here. Take this rod. If you find the bodies of those four idiots, you can use it to bring them back." Caelan took the rod and nodded his thanks.

"I'll be off as soon as I get the rest of my belongings from my room." Caelan jogged upstairs to his room. After pulling on his pack and slinging his longbow across his back, he took one last wistful look at the bed and sighed. "So much for getting some sleep." He walked back downstairs to the well room where Durnan was still standing. "I'll be off then," he said, climbing on to the platform. Durnan prepared to lower him down with the rope.

"Just give the rope a tug if you want back up," he said. "May the gods grant you luck." Caelan nodded at him and he began to lower the platform into the chasm. "You're going to need it," he muttered as the ranger disappeared from sight into the inky blackness.

_**Guan: Thanks for being the first to review! I've read a couple of your other reviews from other fanfics and you always have good advice :) **_

_**shadow0015: Sorry, I was feeling a little lazy with the description of the spell. I think I'm gonna pretty much stick with the plot, but I've added changed the dialogue around a tad and I messed with a few details. Thanks for reviewing! **_

_**Sofia: (should I call you sofia or Fomalhault?) Thank you! Your comment made my day, especially since I'm sick. Bummer. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy the game. HOTU is my fav. Expansion :)**_

**Please review! If you flame, don't just tell me how bad it is (I already know that lol), tell me how I can make it better. In case I didn't make it clear enough, Caelan was a guide and henchman to the main character of Shadows of Udrentide.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: So sorry about the delay. I had bronchitis for a while and I had a ton of make up work from school. As if that wasn't enough, I had a chronic case of writer's block for a long time. So…I'm really sorry about how long it took me to post this and I'm sorry if it seems a bit…blah in the beginning. Just in case anyone's wondering about the apparent plot hole in the beginning, I didn't write about most of Undermountain. I think it's the most (well, only) boring part of the game and it would have been boring for me to write. Sorry if anyone's disappointed. :) **

**Chapter Three**

Caelan wiped sweat and grime off his face as he ran down a flight of steps. He'd lost track of how long he'd been in Undermountain a while ago; it was too hard to tell when a day had passed. Linu and her friends had been successfully rescued and he'd found out that Halaster wasn't behind the attacks on Waterdeep after all. Caelan frowned as he remembered the strange golem he'd met on the second level. The grotesque creature had informed him that Halaster had been captured by the drow and that he needed rescuing. Caelan had promised to free him from the drow. _If only to get out of this damnable dungeon!_ Caelan thought fiercely. After days of dodging traps, monsters, and the occasional drow, the ranger was more than ready to see the surface again.

The stairs abruptly ended at a rough stone doorway, beyond which was a shadowy cave. Caelan edged around the opening, on the lookout for traps or monsters. He breathed a silent sigh of relief when he saw nothing but a single drow scout standing a few feet away. Caelan slid back around the doorway and unslung his bow before leaning cautiously back around. The scout dropped without a sound, an arrow through his neck. _Is that the only one?_ he wondered. _It seems too easy…_ The ranger crept back out of the stairwell and slid along the cave wall, making sure to stay in the shadows. No other enemies waited to ambush him, so he stepped out of hiding with a sigh of relief and headed for the door across the room. He jumped and whirled around, unsheathing his sword as a voice spoke from behind him.

"I wouldn't go that way if I were you." The newcomer, a shadowy female drow, held her hands to show that they were empty as she backed away in alarm. "Hold your weapons, I mean you no harm." Caelan looked her over but kept his sword pointed at her. She looked like most drow, with silver hair and dark skin, yet she seemed to have an air of mystery to her. He felt more than a little embarrassed that she had surprised him so easily, since he normally considered himself hard to sneak up on.

"Is this some kind of trap?" he asked warily. She shook her head resolutely.

"I understand your suspicion, but not all the drow are after your blood. Just listen to what I have to say." She stared him in the eye as if daring him not to listen to her. Caelan thought for a moment before sheathing his sword and stepping back a pace.

"I'll listen," he conceded. "But don't try anything." The drow nodded and relaxed slightly, obviously just as apprehensive as the human.

"My name is Nathyrra. You are the ranger called Caelan Tel'rana, aren't you?" Caelan smiled sarcastically.

"Let me guess. This is the part where I say, 'Yes,' and you assassinate me, like every other drow seems to want to do. Am I right?" Nathyrra smiled slightly.

"No, I am not an assassin. Your reputation precedes you, Caelan. My people and I know who you are."

"You mean the drow?"

"My people are drow, but they are not like the ones who have invaded Waterdeep and attack the surface," she said, frowning. "We are…rebels. We want to help you free Halaster and stop the forces of the Valsharess from attacking Waterdeep."

The Valsharess. Caelan shivered slightly, recalling his dream again. Was it possible that she was real?

"Who, exactly, is the Valsharess?" he asked cautiously.

"The Valsharess is the ruler of House Kilath, a faction of the drow that has risen to prominence." The drow woman smiled grimly "The drow invading Waterdeep serve the Valsharess and her house. Her forces captured Halaster, giving them free access through Undermountain. However, not all the drow follow the Valsharess. Some of us oppose her, and will do anything we can to break her power." Caelan scowled slightly as he considered this. He certainly didn't want to get mixed up in a civil war and he didn't completely trust her yet.

"How were you planning to help me?" he questioned.

"We don't know if we want to trust you just yet." Nathyrra paused for a moment before continuing. "However, at this point I'm willing to provide information, nothing more." The ranger thought for a moment.

"Can you tell me where Halaster is being held?"

"Yes, I've done some scouting. The wizard is in the northern caverns, guarded by a powerful drow war party. If you want to free him, you must find some way to deal with them." Caelan frowned as he digested this new information. The war party he would deal with later; right now his job was to locate Halaster.

"I'll manage," he said shortly. Nathyrra nodded and turned to go, but turned back when Caelan added hesitantly, "Uh…thanks." She flashed him a fleeting smile before disappearing back into the shadows, leaving a slightly confused ranger behind. _This is getting pretty complicated_, Caelan thought. _I'm almost beginning to regret agreeing to do this._ He shook his head, then opened the door in front of him and slipped into the next cave before cursing silently. The cave was full of heavily armed drow and duergar!

"Damn!" he whispered quietly. The drow woman had led him into a trap! He flattened himself against the cave wall and thought frantically. It was only luck that had prevented any of them from seeing him enter. He doubted he could take on twenty or so hostile drow by himself, and the door to the next cave was clear across the room. Caelan decided his only choice was to try and sneak along the wall to the door, then slip out when no one was watching. He took a deep breath, then began to edge slowly along the wall, making sure to stay in the shadows.

It went smoothly until Caelan was about ten feet away from the door, when he rubbed up against some loose stone, causing it to clatter loudly to the ground. Caelan froze, survival instinct holding him perfectly still as a few drow looked over in his direction. They turned back to whatever they'd been doing after a few agonizing seconds, during which Caelan had held his breath, afraid they'd come over to investigate. He let it out slowly and began inching along the wall again. _About seven more feet…five…almost there…two more feet…_Caelan counted down mentally.

He paused at the edge of the door, bent down, and silently picked up a stone before throwing it as hard as he could. It hit an unlucky duergar in the back of the head, who promptly toppled over onto his neighbor. In the ensuing pandemonium in which everyone rushed over to the downed soldier, Caelan was able to slip out the door unnoticed. He shut it quickly behind him and sagged against it, weak with relief.

"I never thought I'd pull that off," he said in amazement. A shape materialized from the shadows, chuckling dryly.

"Talking to yourself?" Caelan glared at the speaker.

"Nathyrra, I was a fool to trust you! That was-"

"-no trap," Nathyrra interrupted. "I didn't bother telling you about those drow because I thought you could handle them yourself." She shrugged, looking him over critically. "You seem to have come out uninjured, so I was correct." Caelan wasn't sure he should trust her again, but he forced himself to relax and ask,

"So now what do you want?" as politely as possible. It still came out more hostile than he'd intended, but Nathyrra didn't seem deterred.

"I've been waiting for you here. I knew you'd have to come this way if you wanted to find Halaster." Nathyrra paused and smirked slightly. "Since you complained so much about that last group, I'll warn you about the one up ahead." Caelan sighed. _Another one. This just keeps getting better and better._ "There is a large encampment of the Valsharess's forces near here. If you take the bridge," she motioned behind her, "you'll be walking right into them."

"How many?" Caelan asked dryly. "If I must fight, I'd like to know my odds." The pretty drow smiled and said,

"There's more. The drow have set up a pair of ballista on the ridge behind their camp. If you attack head on, they'll use the ballista to smash you to bits." The ranger winced, picturing the scenario, and Nathyrra continued eagerly. "But, if you follow the narrow passage to the north, there's a tunnel that will lead you right behind the ballista. Then, you can rain death on them with their own weapons!" She looked at him expectantly as he considered what she'd told him. If she was telling the truth, then it was the only way he could get through the camp alive. If she wasn't telling the truth, then he could very well be walking into a trap. A tunnel would be the perfect place to ambush someone. _Should I trust her?_ he thought anxiously. It was impossible to tell if she was lying. Caelan sighed and made up his mind.

"I'll take my chances with the tunnel. Even if this tunnel is a trap, I'd probably get killed going through the camp anyway." Nathyrra nodded at him.

" Do as you will. I have to go now, Caelan…unless there is something else?"

"No, that's all…thanks again."

"Goodbye." Nathyrra paused for a moment, then said quickly, "Good luck," before melting back into the shadows. Caelan blinked in surprise, then shook his head and headed for the narrow passage.

He was relieved when nothing jumped out and attacked him in the passage, and even more relieved when he made it through the tunnel. He pulled himself out of the narrow space with a little difficulty, since it had obviously been built for the smaller drow, before pushing his hair back out of his face with one hand and looking around.

A steep incline stood before him, and true to Nathyrra's word, a pair of ballista stood at the top. Two bored looking guards lounged next to a boulder and it only took a moment to dispatch them. Caelan dragged their bodies back down to the tunnel and sheathed his sword, then climbed back to the top of the ridge. It took some effort to pull the towering structures around so that they were aimed at the camp, accompanied by some loud noises as wood scraped over stone, but no one seemed to notice until flaming arrows began to rain down on them. Panicked shouts filled the air and the camp erupted into chaos, with officers trying and failing to organize the frightened soldiers. It was easy for Caelan to pick off the panicking survivors with his bow and soon the camp was silent.

Caelan cautiously picked his way down the ridge and through the maze of burning tents. No one challenged him, and he allowed himself a sigh of relief.

"That wasn't too hard," he whispered, before heading into the next cave. He jumped when a shadow shifted, revealing itself to be Nathyrra, who looked around carefully before fully emerging from her hiding place.

"Seen a ghost?" she asked wryly.

"No, you just startled me, that's all. As a ranger, I'm not used to people being able to sneak up on me." Nathyrra grinned.

"Get used to it." Her expression became more businesslike. "You'll be pleased to know that you quest to rid Undermountain of the Valsharess's drow is nearly at an end. The mad mage is being held just ahead, guarded by some of the Valsharess's most loyal and powerful servants."

"Great." He paused, frowning. "There wouldn't happen to be any more ballista, would there?" he asked hopefully.

"No, I'm afraid not. However, you won't be alone this time. I'm coming too," she said determinedly. Caelan blinked, slightly taken aback.

"You're coming? I thought you said you only had information for me." Nathyrra shook her head.

"No, not this time. I think I can trust you now. Besides, you want to end the threat to Undermountain and so do I. The only way to do that is by killing the drow in the next room. You may be able to do this alone, but you'll have a better chance with me fighting by your side." She pulled out a wicked looking short sword and grinned feraly. "Now, let's stop talking and do it." Caelan, glad he wasn't the one about to face her, nodded and headed for the large door at the other end of the room.

"What are you waiting for? Let's go," Nathyrra said impatiently when he stopped. He held up a hand to silence her and whispered,

"I want to have a look at what's going on in there." He opened the door a crack and peered in.

Halaster stood at the center of three stones, which appeared to be powering the globe of magic holding him prisoner. A frustrated looking group of drow were standing around him, apparently having little success with the wizard. Caelan pushed the door open a little wider for a better look but it creaked loudly, the sound echoing in the large cavern. Caelan cursed and pulled back as he saw a drow soldier jogging over to the door.

"We've got company," he whispered to Nathyrra urgently.

"Let's go for it," she said excitedly. He nodded his agreement and threw the door open, catching the approaching drow in the face and knocking him over. Caelan jumped over his motionless body and drew his sword, heading for the surprised group at the other end of the room. He could hear Nathyrra dealing with the drow behind him and cursed again as an arrow whizzed over his shoulder. Glancing up, he saw archers hiding behind piles of stone on either side of him. He yelled back to Nathyrra,

"Get rid of those archers! I'm heading for the leader!" She didn't bother to confirm that she'd heard him, but headed in their direction with a menacing look on her face. The three drow commanders were heading in his direction and he lifted his sword to meet them. They circled warily around him as the female yelled scathingly,

"Now you die!" _Now, let me think, where have I heard that before?_ he thought to himself sarcastically before launching himself at her. She parried his swing with her mace, sparks flying where steel grated on steel. Caelan kicked her in the middle, knocking her over as he turned to block another drow's blade. Movement at the side of his vision caught his attention and he thrust his sword back, catching the third commander in the side. He dropped, but knocked Caelan's legs out from under him as he fell. The ranger saw stars as his head hit the stone floor and rolled, just in time to narrowly miss a downward blow from the female. Another stab, this time from the male, but Caelan didn't move quickly enough. It caught him in the back as he tried to get to his feet and he collapsed to the floor again, one hand pressed to his back as he gritted his teeth, trying not to cry out.

The female drow smirked and kicked. His vision went grey as her foot connected with the wound, but he refused to show that he'd felt it. She lifted her mace to finish him off but stopped, a surprised look on her face as a sword protruded from her abdomen. She fell over, revealing a smug looking Nathyrra behind her. The remaining commander headed for her angrily, leaving Caelan bleeding on the floor and meeting her with a swing of his sword.

She held her own until the commander's sword snaked its way around hers, sending it flying to the other side of the cavern. Nathyrra stepped away, but was stopped as she backed into the wall. The commander laughed cruelly and prepared to finish her off, but stopped when he heard Caelan yell,

"Leave her alone, you spineless son of a bitch! " Caelan had pulled himself to his knees and was glaring directly at the drow male. The commander and Nathyrra both looked at him, startled. The male stared at him.

"Shouldn't you be dead?" he asked in mock concern. "I'll finish you off first, then." He walked menacingly back over to the ranger, sword raised.

Caelan struggled to his feet and barely brought his sword up in time to block the drow. He twisted his sword away and swung shakily at the drow's stomach, who promptly dodged and punched Caelan in the face while he was off balance. The human staggered back, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth, but attacked again, drawing on adrenaline for strength and hacking repeatedly at the commander's sword. The drow tripped when Nathyrra stuck her foot in his path and faltered for a moment, providing an opening for Caelan's sword. He stabbed forward and his sword buried itself in the commander's chest. Caelan pushed the dying drow off his sword and staggered as a new wave of pain washed over him. He reached around to his back and winced when his hand came away bloody. Nathyrra rushed over to him.

"Caelan! Are you alright?" she asked, worry showing on her face as she saw the blood. He nodded and sheathed his sword unsteadily.

"Yeah…I'm fine." He tried a halfhearted smile when Nathyrra remained unconvinced and glanced over his shoulder at the bloodstained tear in his tunic. "Can't say the same for my shirt, though." She looked at him critically, then blushed slightly.

"Thanks…for saving me, I mean." She looked away, embarrassed, and said quickly, "I mean, I could have handled him myself you know, but thanks anyway." Caelan grinned crookedly and was about to reply, but was interrupted by an annoyed voice.

"I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but I'd like to be freed if it's NOT TOO MUCH TROUBLE!" The voice rose to an agitated shout as Caelan and Nathyrra spun around.

"We forgot about Halaster," Nathyrra said, jogging over to the wizard. Caelan followed more slowly, every step causing the room to spin. Even the simple act of breathing hurt.

"How do we set him free?" Nathyrra asked him when he'd made it over to her. The mad mage scowled and said,

"Are you going to just stand there and stare, or will you free me from this blasted snare?"

"Keep your tunic on," Caelan said wearily, examining the globe holding Halaster. "I think those three stones power the magic holding him here," he said, addressing Nathyrra. "They look pretty flimsy, though. If we destroy one, it should set him free." He hefted his sword and swung it at the closest stone, which shattered in an impressive flash of light that left spots dancing in Caelan's vision and resulted in a fresh wave of pain. He winced and reached a hand around to the stab wound in his back as Halaster said happily,

"Now that I'm free, those drow will pay! If they know what's good for them, they'd better run away!" He cursed softly as his knees buckled involuntarily, vision beginning to tunnel. He heard Nathyrra shouting something, tried to stay conscious, tried to assure her that he was fine, but he was fighting a losing battle. The ground rushed up to meet him and the lights went out.

The first thing he was aware of was that he was no longer on the cave floor. He was lying in a bed, for a moment thinking he was back in his room at the Yawning Portal but quickly realizing he wasn't when he heard voices murmuring nearby. He stirred and bit back a muffled groan as a monster of a headache made itself known.

"He's coming around!" someone said. It sounded like Nathyrra. A cool hand rested on his forehead as she said quietly, "Caelan?" He opened his eyes and squinted as he adjusted to the light, noticing someone had taken his shirt off and wrapped a bandage around his torso.

"Nathyrra? Where am I?" The ranger tried to sit up but inhaled sharply at the pain that lanced through his back.

"Don't try to sit up, you might start bleeding again," an unfamiliar voice said amusedly. Caelan looked over to see who the newcomer was and was startled to see a drow woman dressed in white standing next to Nathyrra. Nathyrra looked up at her from her chair at the side of the bed and smiled.

"Caelan, this is the Seer, the leader of the rebel drow I told you about earlier." The Seer inclined her head gracefully, meeting Caelan's gaze. She had the same dark skinned beauty as all the drow, but her eyes hinted at both advanced age and compassion. It seemed like she could see right through a person, right down to their soul. Caelan found it unnerving to look her in the eye for long and he dropped his eyes back down to Nathyrra.

"What happened to Halaster? How did I get here?" He motioned at the white room with his head. "Where is 'here'?" Nathyrra traded an uncomfortable glance with the Seer.

"After you blacked out, a clone of Halaster appeared and the two started arguing. I tried to ask them for help, but they…well…" She trailed off, looking down at her lap. The Seer sighed deeply and continued for Nathyrra.

"Halaster placed a geas on you to force you to try and kill the Valsharess for him before teleporting you both down here, the city of Lith Myathar. You're in the Underdark now." Caelan's brow furrowed as the news sank in.

"This geas…Does it mean I have to obey?"

"Yes…If you do not, you will die." The Seer looked at him, sorrow evident on her face. "I am truly sorry. This is not how I would have wished to acquire your help." Caelan closed his eyes, feeling numb. This can't be happening, he thought angrily. Me, kill the Valsharess? It's sheer suicide! He opened his eyes again and took a deep breath.

"Halaster will pay for this," he said, barely controlling his anger. "He was coward enough to get me when I was down." Nathyrra frowned in concern and said gently,

"If you go back up to the surface to get revenge, you'll die because of the geas." She smiled slightly before continuing. "Anyway, we'd like your help down here. Do you want me to tell you more about the Valsharess?" she asked, changing the subject. Caelan shrugged and shifted gingerly to a more comfortable position.

"Sure." Nathyrra cleared her throat.

"Let me see… The Valsharess was once a matron mother, a ruler of one of the great houses, as I've already told you. But then Llolth, Queen of Spiders and goddess of drow society, disappeared. The Valsharess seized on this opportunity."

"She summoned a powerful arch devil who she bound to her service," the Seer explained. "Drawing on this enslaved devil's power, she became a conqueror of the Underdark." Nathyrra nodded.

"Once the Underdark is hers, she will once more turn her attention to the surface." She grimaced in disgust. "She believes herself a queen, a Valsharess by our tongue." Caelan asked, surprise evident on his face,

"How did she get an arch devil? Aren't they extremely powerful?" The Seer sighed.

"That, we do not know. Perhaps through some ancient ritual or long forgotten artifact." She paused, appearing to be deep in thought before continuing. "But, whatever her methods, the results cannot be denied. The priestesses of Llolth are powerless before her, the great drow houses have bent knee, and many other Underdark races have been intimidated into joining her cause." The ranger was beginning to respect the rebel drow for fighting on despite the fact that they were severely outnumbered.

"What do you propose we do now?" he asked after a minute of silence, everyone seemingly lost in thought. The Seer nodded slowly, appearing hesitant yet determined to continue.

"Yes, that is a good question. What are we to do now?" The Seer's expression became resolved as she looked at Caelan. "I must put my faith in my goddess, and that means putting my faith in you. Our fate lies in your hands." Caelan's mouth gaped open as he stared in shock at the Seer.

"M-me!" he finally managed to get out. "I want to help, but…" he trailed off, still confused at this sudden turn of events. He wanted to help the rebels, but this was more than he had expected. "Why me?" he asked again. "Why not someone you know you can trust?" A deep voice from the door said,

"Yes, the human has a point." The speaker, a tall man with red hair stepped into the room. Caelan was slightly startled when he saw the man's horns and tail, but quickly recovered. A tiefling, he thought amazedly. A part demonic planar being. I never would have expected to see one in the Underdark. The man walked over to the Seer, alarm evident on his face. "Are you sure? What do we really know about this…this ranger? He could be the death of us all!" Caelan, although slightly offended, secretly agreed with the tiefling. He didn't want to be the cause of the rebel's destruction. The Seer held up a delicate hand, gently forestalling the red haired tiefling.

"Our lives are irrevalant, Valen. The Valsharess must be stopped, and I believe Caelan is the key to stopping her." Valen stepped back and frowned skeptically.

"You know I don't believe in your ways, Seer." He glanced at Caelan dubiously. "I won't throw my life away by blindly following anyone, and I don't think anyone here should, either. What makes you think this human stranger can stop the army of the Valsharess?" Again, Caelan found himself agreeing with him. He couldn't help but feel admiration for Valen, who obviously wanted to protect the rebels and naturally felt suspicion towards him, a stranger. The Seer turned to face Caelan, a warm smile on her face.

"I know you are a famous hero, but you are so much more than that." The ranger shifted awkwardly. "You are the only one who can stop the Valsharess."

"Look, I'd love to help, but I'm no hero," he said uncomfortably. "I'm sure there's loads more people down here who could kill the Valsharess than just me." The Seer shook her head wisely.

"No, Caelan. The dream you had that night in the inn was true. The Valsharess knows and I know that you are our only hope." Caelan stared at her, dumbfounded.

"How did you…? But that was-"

"No ordinary dream," she finished for him. "It showed the truth." She smiled vaguely. "I had that dream as well." All the astonished ranger could think to do was to nod. She smiled again and said warmly, "Regardless, we will rely on you. The drow here in Lith Myathar will stand against the Valsharess, but it won't be enough. Our only hope is for you to find some way of weakening the Valsharess or strengthening our own forces." The Seer motioned to the younger drow beside her. "Nathyrra can help you with this." Nathyrra grinned encouragingly at him.

"I can give you information on the Valsharess's allies and where to find them." Her expression turned thoughtful. "Perhaps we might consider striking at her through her friends, or turning them to our side." Caelan grinned back and was about to reply, but to his surprise, Valen stepped forward.

"I can also help," he said quickly. "I know about the legends of the Underdark. I have heard many rumors of powerful allies and artifacts we may be able to acquire."

"I though you didn't trust me," Caelan said skeptically.

"I haven't set aside my suspicions yet." His tone turned derisive. "But if you are truly the savior the Seer seems to think you are, I'm willing to give you a chance." The Seer smiled gently at all of them.

"So, it appears you are not alone in this, Caelan. Nathyrra and Valen will help you." Her expression turned somber she placed a hand on his cheek, looking into his eyes. "Do not be afraid to ask them for help, Wanderer." She held his gaze for a moment longer, then stood and exited the room, pausing long enough to say, "Good luck and blessed be." Valen followed her out protectively, leaving only Nathyrra and Caelan in the room. Nathyrra smiled and shifted in her chair.

"So now you know everything… The Valsharess, who we are, why we are here." Caelan shook his head unhappily.

"It's not like I have much of a choice," he reminded her, suddenly feeling helpless. Nathyrra looked at him, face impassive.

"So you're telling me that if not for the geas, it would not matter to you in the slightest that the Valsharess threatens your world as well as mine?" Her voice was suddenly cool. Caelan shook his head, frustration threatening to overwhelm him. He pounded his fist into the blankets.

"I do care! That's why I should be up there, not down here!" He stared at her pleadingly, willing her to understand. She looked at him for a long moment.

"You want to wait for the Valsharess on the surface, for when she's at her strongest? Even if that was the case, doesn't the fact that she wants you dead worry you in the slightest?"

"Of course it does!" He exhaled in frustration. "There's nothing I can do about that, however."

"Short of defeating her." Nathyrra smiled suddenly. "Well, if there's anything else you needed…?" Caelan nodded and sat up carefully.

"Yes, a shirt, for one thing." He looked around the room. "Where's my stuff?" Nathyrra frowned disapprovingly at him as he swung his legs over the side of the bed.

"You shouldn't be getting up," she said doubtfully. Caelan raised an eyebrow.

"I think I know what I can and cannot do," he said carefully. "Besides, I hate being in bed when I feel like I should be doing something." Nathyrra still didn't look convinced, so Caelan gave her his most charming smile. The drow shook her head and laughed.

"Alright, you win." She got up and pulled his pack and a clean shirt off of a shelf in the corner. "Just don't blame me when you start bleeding again." Caelan grinned crookedly and accepted the pack from her.

_**Guan: Thanks again! I had more fun writing the second chapter than I did the first, and I think it shows, but oh well. Thanks also for the get better soon! (hugs Guan) **_

_**shadow0015: Yeah, I know, describing things can be hard. I think I do better with dialogue, myself. Wow! Another get well soon! (hugs shadow0015) Oops, I did misspell Daelan's name, didn't I? Oh, well, I don't like him anyway, that's why I had Caelan and him clash like that. (Daelan Red Tiger glares at Sharvani) **_

_**Sofia: Oooh, I'll make sure to look for your story. Quarter-elf? Believe me, I've made some pretty weird characters myself. I got my elvish translation from if you're interested. Thank you soo much for the review!**_

**Well, now I got this chapter up finally! I do promise to bring up a little of Caelan's past in the next chapter. I'm also thinking about doing a bit from Nathyrra's POV eventually, but I'm not sure. Remember: Reviewing is fun and easy! All you have to do is click the button and type at least one word! You know you want to…**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: I haven't been in the mood for writing in a while because of Katrina, and I'm just lucky I brought my laptop with me when we evacuated. My family and I moved in with my grandparents in North Carolina until we can get back on our feet again. I'm really sorry about the delay but I just didn't feel like writing. I probably won't be updating for a while after this either, so sorry in advance. :)**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Neverwinter Nights or anything associated with it. **

**Chapter Four**

Nathyrra stood waiting outside of the room she'd left Caelan in a few minutes before. She shifted impatiently, leaning against the wall and crossing her arms over her chest. _How long can it take to put on a shirt? _she wondered testily. The male was being impossibly slow. She shook her head and mentally corrected herself. He wasn't just a lowly male. Caelan was her equal; a man who had proven himself to be as good a fighter as any drow female.

A creak interrupted her thinking as the door across from her opened and Caelan stepped out.

Nathyrra looked him over. He looked a bit paler than normal, but a wash and a shave had done him wonders_. He looks…good_, she found herself thinking, before mentally kicking herself for being silly.

"I'm glad the tunic fits," she told him briskly, forcing herself to view him more practically. Caelan glanced down at himself, then back up at her.

"Yes, but I'm not sure black's my color," he said jokingly. Nathyrra permitted herself a smile.

"Nonsense. You look fine." Caelan laughed, and Nathyrra restrained herself from what was sure to be an undignified giggle. He glanced back down again.

"I don't mean to be demanding, but… where's my sword?" Caelan asked, motioning at his empty sword belt.

"Ah…Valen thought you were a spy, you see. The only way I could get him to agree to let you stay was for him to confiscate your weapons."

"I was unconscious. How did he expect me to do any harm?" Caelan muttered rebelliously.

"Valen was only trying to protect the rebels. You can't blame him for mistrusting you." The tall ranger sighed and leaned tiredly against the wall.

"I don't blame him for doubting me, Nathyrra. In his place, I wouldn't trust me either." He grinned down at her, saying, "Now how about showing me around this temple? I don't want to get lost if I have to be in here on my own." Nathyrra frowned and folded her arms across her chest.

"Now, Caelan, you should really be resting…" She trailed off as she realized that, by the looks of the determined glint in his eye, that any arguing would be useless. "Oh, alright, but if you collapse I reserve the right to say 'I told you so.'" He smiled disarmingly.

"I promise to be good, Mother." She sighed in mock exasperation and lead the way down the hall.

They walked down a dark corridor in companionable silence, the tour long over. Caelan broke the silence, asking,

"Nathyrra?"

"Hmm?"

"You said you could help me against the Valsharess earlier." Nathyrra looked up at him sternly.

"Yes, but you shouldn't be worrying about that right now. You're still recovering, and you really shouldn't be overstressing yourself." He laughed and hit her playfully on the shoulder.

"Recovering? No, I don't think so. I've had worse." Nathyrra scowled at him in annoyance.

"I'm serious." He stopped and looked her straight in the eye, grinning.

"So am I." They held each other's gaze until Nathyrra looked away, trying not to smile.

"Fine. What do you want to know?"

"Oh, I don't know. Anything. Everything." She thought for a moment.

"I know much about the allies of the Valsharess. Many of those who support her, like the beholders and Illithid, live in the caverns to the west." Her expression turned thoughtful. "She has a lot of undead creatures in her armies as well. Her source for them may be located in the caverns also."

"Great. Undead are never any fun and I don't exactly like beholders, either." Nathyrra frowned, puzzled by this.

"You've seen a beholder? They don't usually come to the surface."

"I had a nasty run in with one at the inn in Waterdeep. Knocked me out and led the other adventurers down into Undermountain," Caelan answered.

"You were lucky, then. It could have killed you just as easily." He nodded.

"Yeah, I guess so." Caelan paused for a moment. "So…What exactly is an Illithid? I've never heard of them before."

Nathyrra made a face, her voice tinged with disgust. "They're horrible creatures, the lot of them. They're humanoid beings with long tentacles and a penchant for magic. They use the tentacles to destroy the minds of creatures they capture and make them helpless thralls. You may have heard of them by another name: mind flayers." Nathyrra stopped, noticing that Caelan had gone rigid. She laid a hand on his arm, saying softly,

"Are you alright?" The human swallowed and took a deep breath, composing himself before saying,

"Yes. I'm fine. I've just had…trouble with mind flayers before." His voice sounded strained and he took another deep breath before changing the subject hastily. "Is there anything else you can tell me?" Nathyrra looked at him searchingly, but he avoided her gaze.

"No, that's it." They stood there for a moment longer before Caelan started walking, saying,

"We should get back to the temple." Nathyrra trotted to keep up with his longer strides, wondering what was wrong with the human. He was clearly still upset; she could tell by his stiff shoulders and clenched jaw. Caelan was hiding something, but what?

Nathyrra got in bed after showing Caelan where he could sleep, still puzzling over the ranger's odd behavior. He had maintained a gloomy silence all evening, speaking only when somebody asked him a direct question, and then in as few words as possible. Nathyrra sighed and turned restlessly over on her side. She knew it had to have something to do with the Illithid, but what could have happened to cause Caelan to react to them so strongly?

The next day, Caelan seemed back to normal, even if his cheerfulness seemed a bit forced. He asked Nathyrra if she would show him around the city. She agreed, and after a quick breakfast, they walked out onto the streets of Lith Myathar.

"You drow must like gloomy architecture," Caelan noted, glancing up at the dark, twisting buildings. Nathyrra shook her head at him in puzzlement.

"It looks normal to me. I'm sure your buildings on the surface would be just as strange to a visiting drow." She motioned to two large structures, one behind them and one looming up ahead. "Those are public buildings. That tower up ahead," she said, pointing, "is House Maeviir's seat of power." Caelan glanced curiously at the guards stationed on either side of the door.

"They must not like company."

"Yes, and Matron Myrune is protecting herself from assassination attempts. Rumor has it her daughter is trying to kill her again." The ranger's eyes widened at her nonchalant tone.

"Is that normal around here?" Nathyrra smiled in amusement at his shocked expression.

"I keep forgetting that you know next to nothing about us. Yes, it's normal for daughters to try and kill their mothers so they can rule. It's part of our culture." They moved past the tower.

"Over there are the merchants and beyond is the forge and weapons shop." Nathyrra followed the ranger as he walked over to the dark water lapping at the nearby dock.

"Careful," she said warningly. "If you fall into the Dark River, you'll be swept away to your death." Caelan backed away hastily. "It's one of Lith Myathar's military defenses," Nathyrra continued. "No army can safely cross it." The tall human looked dubiously at the water.

"How, exactly, do you cross it when you need to?"

"If you want to cross, talk to Cavallas," she said, jerking a thumb over her shoulder at an ominous robed figure standing a few yards away. "The boatman knows the river like no other."

"I'm not sure I'd want to talk to him," Caelan said, peering at the ominous hooded figure. "He doesn't look very pleasant." Nathyrra laughed quietly and tugged him away from the river.

"I still have some places to show you." They toured the training grounds and the forge before stopping to rest on a street corner.

"All these drow are allies, right?" Caelan asked.

"Yes."

"But there seems to be two distinct groups, and it doesn't look like they like each other," he said, watching a couple of uniformed drow throwing insults at another group. Nathyrra leaned against a nearby building, arching an eyebrow and throwing a look of contempt at the drow in uniform.

"House Maeviir was forced to join with us, the Seer's followers, to stand against the Valsharess. The Maeviir drow, however, think we are weak because we believe in fighting only when necessary." Caelan scanned the groups of drow wandering around, occasionally shooting each other hostile glares.

"It does seem rather tense." Nathyrra sighed.

"You have no idea." She straightened up briskly. "There's one place I haven't shown you yet: the Ale Gardens. It's a local open air bar." This provoked a smile from Caelan.

"Good. I haven't had anything decent to drink since I left the Yawning Portal in Waterdeep."

Nathyrra glanced up at him as they walked up the street.

"There's something I wanted to ask you."

"Ask away."

"The Underdark is a strange place for a surfacer. Many find it unnerving, even when they are prepared for it." She cleared her throat, trying not to sound too concerned. "Given the suddenness of your arrival, I wanted to know how you're feeling." Caelan looked down at her, brows raised.

"You're worried about me?"

"Our fate is tied to you and your success. It's only natural that I show concern for you," she said quickly, cheeks flushing. Luckily, Caelan didn't seem to notice as he glanced up at the darkness above.

"It's unsettling not to be able to see sky, but I'll be alright."

"I'm glad to hear you say that." She paused, her face serious. "I won't lie to you. The Underdark is a dangerous place. The creatures that fight for survival here are unlike anything you may have seen on Toril's surface." She looked up at him again, meeting his eyes. "But you aren't alone in this, Caelan. It may seem hopeless, but I will do everything in my power to help you stop the Valsharess." Caelan smiled.

"It's good to know I can count on you." Nathyrra tried and failed to stop an answering smile. _This man's smiles are dangerous_, she found herself thinking.

They didn't say anything else until the Ale Gardens came into view. The ramshackle bar had a striped canopy over the top and several large barrels scattered around, one of which had two Maeviir soldiers and a smaller creature standing in front of it.

The bartender, who was wiping the grimy counter with an equally filthy rag, looked up at their approach and sniffed scornfully.

"We don't usually see your lot around here," he said, jerking his head at Nathyrra. "Why don't you go back to your precious Seer?" Nathyrra ignored him frostily as Caelan walked up to the bar.

"What do you have to drink around here?" The bartender looked up at him, mild surprise and contempt showing on his face.

"A surfacer, aye?" He looked Caelan over and sneered slightly. "Well, them over there," he motioned with the hand that held the dirty rag, "is usin' up my last barrel." He scratched his forehead. "Yep, since the Valsharess cut off our supply lines, I ain't had no more shipments. Jus' gotta make do with what we got." He went back to his polishing.

Caelan glanced over at the two soldiers and the smaller creature, which looked like a svirfneblin. The drow were egging the little creature on, pushing it to keep drinking. The svirf was swaying drunkenly, slurring pitifully over the voices of the two soldiers.

"Pleash…no more. No more."

"Shut up, you. Keep drinking," snarled one of the drow. "I want that record!" The svirf forced down another mug, choking as the other soldier cheered,

"Woo! Look at 'im go!" Caelan's jaw set and he stalked angrily over to the two drow. Nathyrra followed after him, whispering urgently,

"Caelan, what are you doing?" He ignored her and grabbed the closest drow by the tunic, spinning him around.

"What's going on here?" The soldier looked up at him in annoyance as his companion stopped cheering.

"Can't you see we're busy here? My servant only needs four more drinks to break the camp record." The svirf looked up at Caelan with tormented eyes, looking as though he might vomit.

"Pleash…I can't take anymore. No more." The ranger glared back down at the svirf's owner as the other drow said gleefully,

"He'll never make it. The svirf who set the record was twice this runt's size and he died of alchohol poisoning the next day."

"This isn't right," Caelan growled.

"He's MY servant. I'll do what I like with him," the soldier said disdainfully, his hand straying near his sword hilt. Nathyrra drew her short sword and moved up beside Caelan as he said menacingly,

"I won't let you force your servant to drink himself to death!" The drow hesitated, clearly aware that the odds were against him if it came down to a fight.

"Fine. I was getting bored anyway." He jerked his head at the other drow. "C'mon." He shoved by Caelan, muttering darkly, "Human scum."

The svirf swayed again, managing to say,

"Thank you." He hiccupped. "One more drink would have been the death of me. Exshcush me while I passh out…" He tottered and fell in a heap in front of the barrel, out cold.

A calm voice from behind Caelan caused him to spin around in surprise.

"Well, at least you have the courage to stand up to common bullies. That's something."

"Valen!" Nathyrra exclaimed as the red haired tiefling stepped out from behind a merchant's stall. "Good to see you." He acknowledged her with a nod and walked up to Caelan, who stared stonily back at him.

"I'd like my weapons back," the ranger said curtly. The tiefling considered silently him for a long moment before Nathyrra broke the silence.

"For goodness sake, Valen, he's not a spy," she said, feeling exasperated at the tiefling's stubbornness. Valen looked at Caelan for a moment more before nodding and turning abruptly.

"Very well. Follow me." Nathyrra rolled her eyes at his back and followed, Caelan bringing up the rear. Valen lead them to the Seer's temple and asked Caelan to wait outside while he talked for a moment with Nathyrra. Caelan smiled briefly at Nathyrra in answer to the look of annoyance she'd directed at Valen, then slouched up against the wall of the building.

Caelan's thoughts wandered, eventually coming back to the mind flayers. He gritted his teeth as long buried memories began to surface.

It was 18 years ago since his life had changed drastically. He had been a boy of 15 at the time, living with his mother and younger sister Tula on a small farm in the Silver Marches. Caelan had been out hunting by the caves near his home when he saw a multitude of creatures come pouring out of the nearest cave. They were like nothing he'd ever seen before, tall and thin, with squirming tentacles where their faces should have been. He hid in terror, watching as they swept by and not daring to come out until after they had disappeared from sight between the trees. He slipped out from his hiding place and ran for home, the smell of smoke growing strong on the breeze. Caelan cried out in wordless grief at the sight that met his eyes. The house was ablaze, the roof he had mended only the day before falling apart in a shower of sparks. Chickens, cows, the family dog- every animal lay slaughtered on the ground. Tula and his mother were nowhere to be seen; he could only assume that the creatures had taken them. He dropped to the ground, giving into great, wrenching sobs as his world fell apart around him.

Later, he learned that the creatures he had seen were called mind flayers and had most likely taken his family as slaves. He lived out on his own, as there were no relatives nearby that he could stay with. Over the years he learned to depend on himself to get by, selling his skills as a guide and woodsman to traveling adventurers.

The sound of a door opening broke into his reverie, pulling him from his thoughts of the past as Nathyrra walked out, triumphantly carrying his sword and bow. She handed them to him, saying, "Valen implored me not to trust you. He's still convinced that you're working for the Valsharess." She peered him closely. "Is something wrong?" Caelan attempted a smile as he sheathed his sword. "It's nothing. I was just thinking." Nathyrra looked like she was about to inquire further, but Valen walked over to them and addressed Caelan. "I still do not trust you, as Nathyrra has undoubtedly told you. However, I am willing to assist you in your quest, if only to keep an eye on you." Caelan acknowledged him with a nod of his head.

"Very well, then. I am thankful for the help, regardless. Do you have any information for me? Nathyrra-" he nodded in her direction, "-already told me about the Valsharess's allies." Valen considered the matter for a moment, head cocked to one side, before replying.

"Recently, I've heard tales of some strange islands nearby. Based on the legends, there may be something on these islands that could help us against the Valsharess." Caelan's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Islands? There are islands in the Underdark?" Valen regarded him impassively.

"Does that surprise you?" His tone bore slight contempt for Caelan's ignorance. "There are many rivers and lakes here in the Underdark, and many settlements have ports or docks. The Lith Myathar ports are just to the east of here." Caelan nodded, remembering Cavallas. Valen continued,

"They say there is an island inhabited by powerful golems; these would be particularly useful against the Valsharess and her army. I've also heard of a strange settlement that appeared overnight on a previously deserted island." Valen's tone became more interested. "That sounds like the work of a powerful artifact, one we might be able to use ourselves. Of course, what I've heard are really just rumors from those who've traveled the river."

Caelan recalled the mysterious boatman at the docks.

"Do you know anything about Cavallas?"

"Cavallas is… odd. He willingly transports followers of the Seer up and down the river, but otherwise seems unwilling to take a active role in our conflict with the Valsharess."

_No one seems to know much about him_, Caelan reflected thoughtfully.

"That is all the information I have." Caelan nodded his thanks at him.

"Very well. We'll leave early tomorrow and-" Nathyrra cut him off determinedly, hands on her hips.

"You are going nowhere until you've had some time to recover." Caelan looked heavenward, heaving a long-suffering sigh.

"Nathyrra, that was two days ago," he said patiently. "By the time you deem me well enough to travel, the Valsharess will have conquered the entire Underdark."

"Caelan is right. We should make haste," Valen interjected. The ghost of a smile flickered across his face. "I am sure he knows his own limits." Nathyrra looked at the two of them, aware she was outnumbered.

"Fine!" she snapped, spinning on her heel and marching into the Seer's temple. "Don't blame me when you end up dead, Caelan!" Valen turned to the ranger, smirking ever so slightly.

"It amazes me that she is so concerned about your well being." Caelan shrugged helplessly, trudging after the drow. "I'd rather she didn't care quite so much." The tiefling smirked again and followed the both of them inside. _This could be an interesting trip_, he reflected.

**Well, it's been brought to my attention that reviewer responses are not allowed, so I can't thank all of you individually anymore. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed anyway! passes out chocolate chip cookies and Valen plushies I'm sorry if this chapter seemed a little… off, but as I said before I really wasn't in the mood to write. **


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